What's up with Cop Movies/Shows?

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-08-03 09:45pm

Why is it that in all those cop movies and TV shows, the heroes are NEVER to be seen in about ten miles of a police uniform, unless it serves for some kind of joke? I mean, the only uniformed cops you'll ever see are either background or mere bullet sponges. Even during the funeral of a fallen officer, when you'd think they'd wear a dress uniform or something, they don't. It's like they're allergic to it or something...

That's why I like Police Academy as a movie so much. Sure, it's a comedy, but the heroes are uniformed officers! And why I love Third Watch and Boomtown. Not all of them are in uniform, but most of the time they are.

Demiurge · Post by **Demiurge** » 2003-08-03 10:04pm

Er... Because they look like lamerz when they wear uniforms? Just a guess.

aphexmonster · Post by **aphexmonster** » 2003-08-03 10:05pm

I wouldn't wear my uniform if i had one .... those things are horrible looking, i would push for detective or go to the FBI instantly

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-08-03 10:41pm

I think the more action oriented ones don't wear police uniform, whereas ones with more personal stories tnd to wear uniform.

That's my theory.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-08-04 12:34am

Most of the cop shows and movies seem to focus on some sort of special or undercover officer, not your typical PO. On the other hand, take a look at a show like CHiPS (or however they do the title) where a uniformed officer is normal.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » 2003-08-04 12:38am

Dalton wrote:Most of the cop shows and movies seem to focus on some sort of special or undercover officer, not your typical PO. On the other hand, take a look at a show like CHiPS (or however they do the title) where a uniformed officer is normal.

How much fun would it be too watch a show about a guy driving around in his cruiser, giving tickets and talking ont he radio? The season finale could have him busting someone for having a couple grams of weed.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-08-04 12:41am

Kyle wrote:
Dalton wrote:Most of the cop shows and movies seem to focus on some sort of special or undercover officer, not your typical PO. On the other hand, take a look at a show like CHiPS (or however they do the title) where a uniformed officer is normal.
How much fun would it be too watch a show about a guy driving around in his cruiser, giving tickets and talking ont he radio? The season finale could have him busting someone for having a couple grams of weed.

COPS, Reno 911

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-08-04 12:45am

Dalton wrote:COPS, Reno 911

Reno 911?

Anyway, I can see that I guess, but what about when a cop is killed? Not being in the LE community I don't know for sure, but wouldn't you think they'd get in their uniform for the funeral? Most cop movies/shows I've seen, they don't.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » 2003-08-04 01:02am

Dalton wrote:
Kyle wrote:
Dalton wrote:Most of the cop shows and movies seem to focus on some sort of special or undercover officer, not your typical PO. On the other hand, take a look at a show like CHiPS (or however they do the title) where a uniformed officer is normal.
How much fun would it be too watch a show about a guy driving around in his cruiser, giving tickets and talking ont he radio? The season finale could have him busting someone for having a couple grams of weed.
COPS, Reno 911

Haven't seen it yet but it looks fucking hilarious.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-08-04 02:14am

Adam 12 was about uniformed police officers. They even drove around in a black and white.

One of the cops was played by the guy who was playing John Crichton's father on Farscape

Didn't Third Watch have uniformed cops as some of the main characters?

I suppose you might be able to include S.W.A.T. since they're in uniforms but I don't think they are the kind of uniforms RogueIce meant.

Oh, I almost forgot Hill Street Blues. Lot's of cops in uniform.

I'm kind of noticing that a couple of these shows are pretty old.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-08-04 05:04am

Kyle wrote:
COPS, Reno 911
Haven't seen it yet but it looks fucking hilarious.

It is. Everybody watch it as soon as you can.

And just for posterity, the show was "CHiPs", with a small "i" and small "s". The officers were members of the California Highway Patrol, or CHP (read "C-H-P"). They are therefore called "CHiPs", because saying it that way is cooler, I guess.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-08-04 02:06pm

Third Watch on NBC has line people as the main characters of the show. Five police officers (probably going down to four since they had three get in a shoot out with eachother at the end of 3rd season), two paramedics, and one fireman. For the most part the show doesn't have to do with hero syndrome, although the one female cop has been unlucky enough to be in multiple combat situations and has killed three suspects.

Then you have shows like Law & Order which don't have the cops or DAs as heroes, just s the officers and lawyers they are.

Lets see, how many emergency service shows are there that I happen to watch?

Law & Order
Law & Order SVU
ER
Third Watch
CSI
CSI Miami

For the most part those shows are realistic. CSI and Third Watch have the biggest problem with realism, but even then its within the acceptable range.

When you have shows like Nash Bridges, you get the hero cop syndom even though they aren't uniformed. You also have the hero cop problem with many of the cop movies.

Interesting fact. NBC has created the largest combined series on TV. Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Homicide Life on the Street, ER, and Third Watch have had crossovers with eachother or characters moved from one to another.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-04 02:16pm

You forgot Law and Order CI.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-08-04 02:24pm

Montcalm wrote:You forgot Law and Order CI.

Ah yes, and that puts it up to 6 shows directly linked together. One could go so far as to connect Law & order CAP as well because the rest of the series supposedly take place in real life (they had Rudolph guest star for a couple minutes in one episode)

aphexmonster · Post by **aphexmonster** » 2003-08-04 05:07pm

It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-04 05:10pm

aphexmonster wrote:It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.

It was an interesting crossover sci-fi with reality.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-08-04 05:45pm

aphexmonster wrote:It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.

Not quite. NBC has been doing cross over episodes for a while now. The Homicide Life on the Street and Law & Order crossover is OLD.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-08-04 05:47pm

Robert Treder wrote:And just for posterity, the show was "CHiPs", with a small "i" and small "s". The officers were members of the California Highway Patrol, or CHP (read "C-H-P"). They are therefore called "CHiPs", because saying it that way is cooler, I guess.

...You're a very sad person for knowing that.

aphexmonster wrote:It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.

I loved that episode. The X-Files had some truly clever ideas.

aphexmonster · Post by **aphexmonster** » 2003-08-04 06:06pm

Alyeska wrote:
aphexmonster wrote:It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.
Not quite. NBC has been doing cross over episodes for a while now. The Homicide Life on the Street and Law & Order crossover is OLD.

yeah but i cant fucking stand L&Odor ... i was a big fan of the X-Files since i was like 10 or so ... so naturally by the time the cross over episode came out, i was already hooked, and thrilled with the idea and broke my neck trying to be home at the time to watch the premeir. however, my boyhood dreams of being in law enforcement to study unexplainable occurances were crushed as agent john dogget ( robert patrick ' of course relation to the other patrick from the popular band filter - an apple from the tree of nine inch nails ') was to enter the show, and piss on the good image of the federal bereau of investigations ... but my crush on the very old, yet still strangely attractive gillian anderson still stands.

aphexmonster · Post by **aphexmonster** » 2003-08-04 06:08pm

I mean. .. you have to admit, the x files episode was very clever. It had all the elements of both shows, without losing the realness of cops, and at the sametime, keeping the same fantasy/sci-fi satire of the xfiles. It had the same chemestry between Mulder and Skully, and the fast pace, old school original ( which we now cal Blair Witch ) camera action that gives pregnant ladys motion sickness. Plus the story behind the episode was pretty nifty.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-08-05 07:36am

Dalton wrote:
Robert Treder wrote:And just for posterity, the show was "CHiPs", with a small "i" and small "s". The officers were members of the California Highway Patrol, or CHP (read "C-H-P"). They are therefore called "CHiPs", because saying it that way is cooler, I guess.
...You're a very sad person for knowing that.

Well, maybe you're a sad person for knowing that I'm a sad person! Huh? Didja ever think of that?!

Oh...I admit it, I have no witty response to your allegations of sadness. But, in my defense, I live in California, where we deal with the CHP, and, in my experience, we do refer to the organization as the "CHP". We do not, however, refer to CHP officers as "CHiPs", though I suppose they may have at one time colloquially called themselves that. But, being familiar with the abbreviation "CHP", it's not that difficult for me to remember the correct spelling of "CHiPs".
Furthermore, I've never actually seen an episode of "CHiPs". That lessens the sadness that is me.

Now, I have typed "CHiPs" more than any one man ever should have to. It is my intention never to do it again.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-08-05 05:02pm

Robert Treder wrote:Now, I have typed "CHiPs" more than any one man ever should have to. It is my intention never to do it again.

*hands Treder a bag of CHiPs*

This should make you feel better...

And Alyeska, what's so wrong with Third Watch? I think it's pretty good, and I don't see them uber-kung-fuing or anything.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-08-05 05:12pm

RogueIce wrote:...I don't see them uber-kung-fuing or anything.

Maybe that's the problem! Don't you know that kung-fu (pronounced "gohng-fu") makes everything better? Haven't you seen Shaolin Soccer?

Oh, and thanks for the chips. They were delish.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2003-08-05 05:59pm

Alyeska wrote:
aphexmonster wrote:It was all about the x-files amazing cross over episode with the show cops.
Not quite. NBC has been doing cross over episodes for a while now. The Homicide Life on the Street and Law & Order crossover is OLD.

Night of the TV Crossover that Wouldn't die

Example:

The X-Files and Millennium: A character, writer Jose Chung, was featured on both of these shows. Furthermore, the final episode of Millennium's second season featured a scene in which a character finds the butt of a Morley cigarette, the brand of choice of The X-Files' Cigarette Smoking Man. Finally, a 1999 X-Files episode entitled Millennium provided a wrap-up for that now-defunct show.

Extrapolating crossovers from those base two, we get...

The X-Files & Strange Luck: A short-lived Fox show called Strange Luck had the main character's brother work for the FBI where he knew a guy named "Fox," a link to The X-Files.

The X-Files & Homicide: Life on the Street: In a recent episode, "Unusual Suspects," Detective Muench arrests the X-Files computer nerds, the Lone Gunmen.

The X-Files & The Lone Gunmen: The Lone Gunmen is a spin-off from The X-Files.

Homicide: Life on the Street & Law and Order: These two series have had several crossover episodes.

Law and Order & Law and Order: Special Victims Unit: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit is a spin-off from Law and Order.

Picket Fences & Chicago Hope: These two shows crossed-over when a character from Picket Fences went to Chicago Hope.

Chicago Hope & Early Edition: Characters from these two programs interacted on an episode of Early Edition, when that show's hero, Gary Dobson, took a sick friend to Chicago Hope Hospital.

Early Edition & Martial Law: Special Investigator Sammo Law traveled from California to Chicago to track down a stolen Oriental artifact and found himself working alongside Gary Dobson in an episode of Early Edition.

Martial Law & Walker, Texas Ranger: There was a two-part episode in which Walker and Sammo Law team up (first in LA and then in Dallas) to take down a David Koresch-like megalomaniac whose efforts to launch a militia movement to overthrow the U.S. government have resulted in the deaths of several Texas Rangers and a female military intelligence officer in California.

Walker, Texas Ranger & Sons of Thunder: The short lived but entertaining spin-off of Walker, Texas Ranger is Sons of Thunder, in which two of Walker's former proteges set up their own private investigation agency.

Law and Order & Picket Fences: A heart was harvested from a shooting victim in Baltimore during an episode of Homicide: Life On the Street and rushed by helicopter to Chicago Hope Hospital where Dr. Jeffrey Geiger received it and rushed into surgery. Since Law & Order is definitely linked to Homicide: Life On the Street and Chicago Hope is definitely linked to Picket Fences, this makes a stronger case for linking these two shows.

The X-Files & Picket Fences: One of the shows did have at least one line referring to events on the other.

Homicide: Life on the Street & St. Elsewhere: In a recent episode of Homicide, actress Alfre Woodard reprised her St. Elsewhere role.

Homicide: Life on the Street & Simon and Simon: The Revolutionary War ancestors of Simon & Simon dealt with John Adams, who worked with George Washington in forging a new nation. Washington stopped into the building that now houses the Waterfront Bar in Baltimore in order to pee, and that provides the link to Homicide: Life On The Street.

Magnum P.I. & Simon and Simon: These shows crossed over frequently, bringing Hawaii detective Thomas Magnum into The Wold Newton Universe.

Murder She Wrote & Magnum P.I.: These shows crossed over.

Magnum P.I. & Hawaii 5-0: Hawaii 5-0 and Steve McGarrett were often mentioned on Magnum, P.I., thus bringing 5-0 into The Wold Newton Universe.

Magnum P.I. & Columbo & Kojak & The Streets of San Francisco: An episode of Magnum, P.I. featured TV cops Columbo, Kojak, and Detective Mike Stone (The Streets of San Francisco) attending a convention.

Simon and Simon & Whiz Kids: Simon and Simon crossed over with this short-lived TV series involving teenage computer hackers.

St. Elsewhere & The Bob Newhart Show: The neurotic character of Mr. Carlin (a regular on Bob Newhart) appeared on several episodes of St. Elsewhere as a patient. He made reference (though not by name) to Newhart's character, Dr. Robert Hartley.

The Bob Newhart Show & Murphy Brown: Carol Bondurant moved to Washington D.C. and worked for Murphy Brown as her secretary, proving to be the best secretary Murph ever had. Until Dr. Hartley came down to fetch her back, saying that Jerry was sorry for what he said. Trying to keep Carol there, Murphy engaged in a war of words with Bob.

St. Elsewhere & Cheers: In an episode of St. Elsewhere, several characters went to the bar where they interacted with Norm, Carla, and other Cheers regulars. On an episode Cheers, Sam directs characters to take an ailing patron to St. Elegius hospital.

Cheers & Wings: These shows crossed-over when Frasier and Lilith visited the Wings gang.

Cheers & Frasier: A spin-off series has to be in the same universe.

Some are a little bit of a stretch, but it's still fun.[/url]

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2003-08-05 06:23pm

I am surprised no one has mentioned T.J. Hooker, after all every ones favorite Trek Captain had the lead role, and it was uniformed cops.